Sad news

After a long battle with COPD my dear wife Maureen passed away in her
sleep at 1am on Wednesday 16 July. She had been bed-ridden for over a
week and on Monday the doctor fitted a pump to deliver morphine and an
anti-anxiety drug - much better than the twice-daily dose of oral
morphine. Christina, our friend for 30 years, flew up from London on
Monday, arriving here on Tuesday morning and was able to speak with
Maureen. Christina and I were taking turns in sitting with Maureen; I
took over at midnight on Tuesday and at 1am as I was moistening
Maureen's lips with a damp sponge she just stopped breathing. It was all
very calm and peaceful. Everyone on the island has been very supportive
and the medical care from Rosalind (our doctor) and Shirley (our nurse)
has been absolutely wonderful, especially Madeline, Maureen's carer, who
really did care for Maureen with great compassion, calling in twice a
day to bathe & change Maureen and make her as comfortable as possible.
Maureen only started on cross-stitch and blackwork when she was 40 and
produced some beautiful work, some of which our friend Christine is
taking back with her to form part of an exhibition by Christine's
needlework group in Bexleyheath.
Maureen would have been 80 in October and we would have been married for
40 years next March.
Funeral arranged for 1pm on 21 July.
Apologies for the late notification but things have been rather hectic.
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney UK